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OUCH. More separation being created here in week 4. We’ll talk below about how to choose your division this week. This is a fast-paced workout - let’s have some fun! Here is your weekly briefing:

First, below are the listed heat times. There will be 16 minute blocks between heats, however your heat will be called immediately upon completion of the heat prior. This is so you can get measured for HSPUs and warm up the deadlift. We ask for and appreciate your flexibility!

You will also notice on the table that we have listed the number of judges needed for each heat. We NEED help judging! If you can help at least one time before or after you go, that is a huge help to the coaches!

If for any reason you cannot attend at the time you are listed, you need to notify me (caitlin@crossfitkingfield.com) as soon as possible. We do NOT have a lot of flexibility tonight - if you show up late or did not register, you will automatically be put into the last heat.

Second, REMEMBER THAT YOUR LISTED TIME IS YOUR START TIME! If you are in the 5pm heat, arrive with enough time to warm-up prior to the workout. As always, we have included a warm-up below. You will have time to warm-up the deadlifts and HSPUs on the event floor before your heat.

In case you haven’t seen yet, here is the workout:

Open Workout 18.4

For time:

“Diane” 21 - 15 - 9

Deadlifts (225/155)Handstand push-ups

Immediately into:

21 - 15 - 9

Deadlifts (315/205)50ft. Handstand walk between sets

9 minute time cap

Scaled will perform this workout with strict hand release push-ups and bear crawl. Weights will be 135/95 for the first couplet, then 185/135 for the second couplet.

Ask yourself, “Do I have handstand push-ups without using an ab mat pad?” If the answer is no, you should do scaled.

Also ask yourself, “Is the deadlift weight heavy for me? An 8-9 on a scale of 1-10?” If the answer is yes, you should do scaled.

Let’s say you have HSPU without an ab mat pad, but you’ve never done them to the standard required for this workout - test them out in the warm-up. These babies are game-changers - much harder than typical, every day HSPUs.

Now, if you can do HSPU and the deadlift weight is manageable, we have another layer of questions. In part 2, we have an extremely heavy bar and a very high skill movement.

Ask yourself, “Is the deadlift weight approaching or over my 1 rep max?” If the answer is yes, don’t try to lift it.

Ask yourself, “Can I handstand walk?” If the answer is no, not a big deal. There’s a lot of work to be done to earn the HS walk and it won’t hurt you to kick up and try a few times. Similar to last week, it’s easy to get caught up in the fancy gymnastics movements. But remember, this is a deadlift workout.

However, if the second deadlift weight is too heavy for you but you can do HSPUs and the first deadlift weight, you need to decide if you want to just go for it on “Diane” in part 1 and then wait out the remainder of the cap.

If you’re looking for a great and also highly challenging workout, to move for a whole 9 minutes, choose scaled! You still get to do 90 deadlifts and your shoulders will be burning from push-ups and bear crawls.

2. Break. It. Up. Early and often. Even if you regularly do “Diane” unbroken, you’re going to want to break the deadlifts up from the beginning to ensure you still have something left in the tank for the heavier barbell. That bar is going to feel like a million pounds after the first part.

Also break up the HSPUs. You don’t want to go to failure on any of these sets. Focus on using a big kip and at the top, point your toes down to ensure your heels cross your measurement line. On hand-release push-ups, focus on squeezing your butt. Break these up early too.

A recommendation for rep breaks looks like this:

9-7-5 Deadlifts/HSPUs or Hand-release push-ups

7-5-3 Deadlifts/HSPUs or Hand-release push-ups

5-4 Deadlifts/HSPUs or Hand-release push-ups

This way, you’re never exceeding single digits and it’s a descending rep scheme every set.

3. You probably won’t finish - again. This is another one of those “time cap turned AMRAP” workouts. The biggest thing to consider is the tiebreak time - the time at which you finish your last set of deadlifts is the tiebreaker on reps for those who don’t complete the workout. If you don’t plan to touch the heavier barbell, then you want to go all out on the first part of the workout. If you plan to get to the heavier barbell, then you sure as hell want to be able to finish at least that first set of deadlifts. Either way, it’s highly unlikely we’ll see too many folks complete this workout.

4. Warming up. We have a specific warm-up listed below. As we mentioned above, we’ve kept time between heats for you guys to warm up the deadlifts and push-ups in your workout space. We will give you about 5 minutes to warm-up the deadlift and then take another 6 to get your HSPUs measurements done, using the remaining 5 minutes or so for your judge to come brief you on the movement standards for the workout.

FOR TONIGHT: NOTE ON THE HEAT SHEET THE TIME THAT YOUR HEAT WILL BE CALLED. PLEASE BE IN THE MAIN ROOM AT THAT TIME SO YOU MAXIMIZE YOUR WARM-UP TIME.

DO NOT WARM UP IN THE TURF ROOM. WE WILL GIVE YOU TIME TO DO THAT BEFORE YOUR HEAT. Instead spend your time following the below mobilization protocol.

For the general warm-up, please use the back room again. The Turf Room will be closed until classes are completed. PLEASE DO NOT DISRUPT CLASS!

*tuck the fingers under the toes, pull yourself down into a squat, then let the hips rise first, keeping fingers under toes; repeat for 10 reps.

We believe this warm-up will take about 8-10 minutes to complete. If you need more time to mobilize, etc. budget accordingly. Once your heat is called, you will do the following:

5-6 minutes: Warm-up the deadlift. Work primarily on the first weight. If you want to pull the heavy bar a few times, you can.

5-6 minutes: Warm-up the HS or HR push-up. Get measured for HSPU. Test out a few reps with your judge watching so you know how a good rep feels. Perhaps try out a little HS walking!

Immediately before your heat begins, the group will perform a warm-up together and then roll!

5. Have fun! This is the second to last week and we’ve seen some pretty awesome tests to far. It’s pretty cool to have a benchmark workout, one of the original “Girls” in the Open. Enjoy and don’t get frustrated by the challenges presented here.

Finally! The high volume, high skill movements we’ve all been waiting for. Don’t get distracted by the fancy gymnastics - THIS IS DOUBLE UNDER WORKOUT. Here is your weekly briefing:

First, below are the listed heat times. Notice the NUMBER next to your name this week. That number will correspond with your spot on the floor. For sake of simplicity (and sanity), we have assigned you a space based on what we anticipate you doing for the workout (more on this below). The space in the grid on the floor also has a corresponding number UNDER the pull-up bar you will use. You are not allowed to use a bar that does not match your number. We ask for and appreciate your flexibility!

You will also notice on the table that we have listed the number of judges needed for each heat. This week, we’re a little short on coaches, so any help that you guys can provide us with judging will be greatly appreciated. The toughest thing to judge in this workout are the double unders. Our tip: Watch the FEET. Count the number of jumps!

If for any reason you cannot attend at the time you are listed, you need to notify me (caitlin@crossfitkingfield.com) as soon as possible. We have some wiggle room in heats as far as spots go but not necessarily in equipment.

Second, REMEMBER THAT YOUR LISTED TIME IS YOUR START TIME! If you are in the 5pm heat, arrive with enough time to warm-up prior to the workout.

We have intentionally slated a good chunk of time between heats so you will all have time to warm up the overhead squat in the main room. We have a recommended warm-up below which primarily involves mobilizing the shoulders and getting your heart rate up.

OUR OWN ALTERNATIVE VERSION will perform double unders and use the RX’d weights. Ring muscle ups will become ring pull-ups and bar muscle ups will become chest-to-bar pull-ups.

A few quick notes on the workout:

1. Picking your division. So we finally have some separator movements! Great! That’s how we set goals for the upcoming year. There are two main ways you can approach this workout: a) you want a good workout, you want to breathe heavy, get sweaty and be challenged cardiovascularly OR b) you want to test your skills. Remember that the MAIN skill we’re testing in this workout is double unders NOT the gymnastics portion.

If you are in the Option A camp, scaling the workout is the best option for you. Other ways to determine this: you struggle with overhead squats, you struggle with double unders, you cannot do muscle ups.

If you are in the Option B camp, you may attempt the workout RX’d. You WILL NOT be allowed to use bands for muscle ups, you will not perform jumping muscle ups. The Open workouts are not the time to “practice” those movements. If you have never tried a muscle up before, under fatigue is NOT the time to do it. Understand that if you choose RX’d you may be spending a lot of time resting between attempts.

We know that a lot of you can do a combination of weights and movements. This is why we came up with alternative version you see above. We will also allow the Masters’ variation of the workout if that is the best option for you. Our goal, as it is with any workout, is to find an option that works best for you and your goals.

Remember that we, as your coaches, take the time to understand you as an athlete and aim to set you up for success. If we tell you to scale, please don’t take it as a slight or insult. We want you to feel accomplished, not frustrated. If you’re unsure, please don’t hesitate to talk to a coach.

2. Break up the reps sooner than you think you should. The volume in this workout is ridiculous. Even if you’re crazy awesome at double unders, eventually the 300th or 400th rep is going to catch up with you. We recommend you take short, calculated breaks to manage your heart rate and you relax your arms. It could be recommended to break up the OHS as well depending on how comfortable you are with the movement. The weight is manageable but the static hold in combination with wrist extension can affect the later movements.

3. You probably won’t finish. No offense. Even the best in the world will likely not finish this workout. Think of it more like an AMRAP and be patient with your movements. Remember that MISSED reps are more costly than taking breaks and avoiding failure on movements. Focus on quality of your movement versus speed!

4. Warming up. We have a specific warm-up listed below. As we mentioned above, we’ve kept time between heats for you guys to warm up the OHS and the gymnastics movements in your workout space. We will give you about 5 minutes to warm-up the OHS (and snatch) and then take another 4 to get your gymnastics set up, using the remaining 3 minutes or so for your judge to come brief you on the movement standards for the workout.

FOR TONIGHT: NOTE ON THE HEAT SHEET THE TIME THAT YOUR HEAT WILL BE CALLED. PLEASE BE IN THE MAIN ROOM AT THAT TIME SO YOU MAXIMIZE YOUR WARM-UP TIME.

DO NOT WARM UP IN THE TURF ROOM. WE WILL GIVE YOU TIME TO DO THAT BEFORE YOUR HEAT. Instead spend your time following the below mobilization protocol.

For the general warm-up, please use the back room again. The Turf Room will be closed until classes are completed. PLEASE DO NOT DISRUPT CLASS!

18.3 Warm-up

2 rounds

1:00 minute rowing or biking or jump rope1:00 minute hold the bottom of a goblet squat, work on ankles

5. DB Snatches. There is an argument to transition the DB on the floor instead of in the air. It may help keep your heart rate a little lower. However, this is the one movement that most of you won’t have to think too hard about so if you want to go fast, get after it! Just remember that the transition has to happen below the level of the face!

6. BONUS REPS. In this workout, the jump rope is a fast way to accumulate repetitions. If it’s getting down to the wire, get yourself back to that rope.

Week 2 is definitely bringing the heat. This one is going to burn! Here is your weekly briefing:

First, below are the listed heat times. Things were a little more challenging this week due to the double DB squat. We had to shuffle a little bit and based these off of what we anticipate you doing in the workout. There is a chance that we may have to do more shuffling if you decide you want to switch divisions (from RX to scaled or vice versa). We ask for and appreciate your flexibility!

You will also notice on the table that we have listed the number of judges needed for each heat AND are asking for plate loaders for each athlete. This gives our athletes a better advantage to hit their lifts so they can rest while weights are being changed. We will just be taking volunteers on this at the time of each heat. As a plate loader, you will be needed for the last 5ish minutes of each heat.

If for any reason you cannot attend at the time you are listed, you need to notify me (caitlin@crossfitkingfield.com) as soon as possible. We have some wiggle room in heats as far as spots go but not necessarily in equipment.

Second, REMEMBER THAT YOUR LISTED TIME IS YOUR START TIME! If you are in the 5pm heat, arrive with enough time to warm-up prior to the workout.

We have intentionally slated a good chunk of time between heats so you will all have time to warm up the clean in the main room. We have a recommended warm-up below which primarily involves mobilizing the hips and front rack position and getting your heart rate up.

In case you haven’t seen yet, here is the workout:

Open Workout 18.2

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

DB Front squatBar-facing burpee

*12 minute time cap.

Open Workout 18.2a

In the time remaining before the cap, establish a 1RM Clean.

A few quick notes on the workout:

1. DB Front Squats are hard. Do not underestimate them. From what we’ve seen, these tax your midline and front rack position far more than you may think. Find a comfortable position to hold the DBs that work for you - our recommendation is resting the back head of the DB on your shoulders while bringing the front heads together in front of your face (feels similar to a sandbag squat - you’re welcome!) - and don’t hesitate. These are one of those movements that feels worse the longer you put it off. Just pick the DBs up and start moving - you may surprise yourself with what you’re capable of.

2. Bar-facing burpees are also hard. The goal here is to keep moving! For those performing RX’d, you MUST jump the feet up and back together in the burpee as well as take off and land with two feet when crossing the bar. Remember that a bar-facing burpee starts with the burpee and ends when you land on the other side.

3. The Clean. Alright, here’s the sexy part. The part we all want to get to and perform well in. Here’s the reality - this workout has significant effect on your clean for two major reasons.

Reason 1 is time. the fast your go, the more time you have to clean but at Kingfield (as you all know) we’re not interested in crappy movement. Don’t skirt the standards just so you can get to the heavy barbell. At the same time, don’t go so slow that you don’t have time to make a lift (we’ll talk more about this in our RX vs Scaled section below).

Reason 2 is commitment. The DB front squats tax the hell out of your front rack position and your legs. We recommend starting with a weight you are very confident in hitting (likely lighter than you’re thinking right now) just to get the elbows moving fast and reset the body after the metcon. We would recommend power cleaning your first few reps just to save your legs.

Finally, start (right now) about your first THREE weights. Where you’re going to start (you are allowed to have that on the bar before the metcon starts) and where you want to go for the next few reps. Be willing to adjust on the fly, though, based on how you feel after the squats and burpees.

4. Warming up. We have a specific warm-up listed below. As we mentioned above, we’ve kept a good (but surprisingly short) time between heats for you guys to warm up the clean in your workout space. We will give you about 7 minutes to warm-up the clean and then take another 5 or so for your judge to come brief you on the movement standards for the squats and burpees.

FOR TONIGHT: PLEASE CHECK THE END OF THE HEAT TIME BEFORE YOURS AND BE IN THE ROOM AT THAT TIME. OTHERWISE YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON WARM-UP TIME.

DO NOT WARM UP CLEANS WITH WEIGHT IN THE BACK ROOM OR THE TURF ROOM. WE ARE GIVING YOU TIME TO DO THAT. It is too disruptive. Instead spend your time following the below mobilization protocol.

There will be NO DBs of the workout weight available for warm-ups as we need all of them on the floor. If you need to grab something close or KBs (24kg are 53#; 16kg are 35#; 12kg are 25#) for your warm-up. For the general warm-up, please use the back room again. The Turf Room will be closed until classes are completed. PLEASE DO NOT DISRUPT CLASS!

18.2 Warm-up

2 rounds

1:00 minute rowing or biking or jump rope1:00 minute hold the bottom of a goblet squat, work on ankles

On the third inhale, hold your breath and pick up a pair of moderate weight DBs or KBsWalk as far as you can on that inhale

Recover as long as needed between rounds. You will feel your body get warm and maybe a little tingly. Manipulating our breath here is also serving to manipulate our nervous system, which gets us a little sweaty and ready for action.

DB/KB front rack stretch - 2 rounds for quality:

Hold a moderate weight DB in one handLet it dangle as far behind your shoulder as possible, pulling your elbow up into the air and stretching your shoulder/tricep/lat; hold for 0:30-0:40 seconds

Perform 5 single-arm DB front squats on that same side

Switch sides and repeat

We believe this warm-up will take about 8-10 minutes to complete. If you need more time to mobilize, etc. budget accordingly. Once your heat is called, you will do the following:

6-7 minutes: Warm-up the clean (you will build to your first or maybe second weight;you do not need to go heavier)

5. Do I do RX'd or scaled? Here’s the truth: The weights may not seem heavy but they are. Remember this time you have TWO DBs, not one, and the midline demand is quite high. This is meant to be a fast workout, so we would recommend that you choose the weight that you can perform 10 unbroken DB front squats at, even under fatigue.

Another consideration: What are you prioritizing? If you are on the cusp of RX/scaled, there are pros and cons to both choices. Just remember that if you want to get to that barbell, you have to finish the first part. If you bite off more than you can chew with the weight, not only are you going to go slower but it’s going to make that clean infinitely harder. No matter what you choose, you’re going to get a killer metcon. If you’re still unsure, talk to a coach or your judge and see what they think.

6. It starts really fast and gets slow. Our strategy on this workout: it depends. It is shorter so you can fly like a bat outta hell and hold on for dear life. That works here - it won’t feel good, but it works. Or you can be little more conservative and move steadily, aiming to not stop moving. Again, we have a lot of transitions where you can chew up time or save it for those cleans. Remember, no matter how you approach it, you are halfway through the required reps once you reach the round of 7s! It will start to slow down considerably from that point. Know that the workout doesn’t really start until you get there and then you have to grind.

Also, don’t rush your cleans. You’ll have more time than you think. Take a few deep breaths, get that first rep under your belt and roll from there. Your judge/coach can help you with deciding on weight jumps.

Welcome to the 2018 CrossFit Open! You guys are definitely ready for this and we’re excited!

First things first, below are the listed heat times. If for any reason you cannot attend at the time you are listed, you need to notify me (caitlin@crossfitkingfield.com) as soon as possible. We have FULL HEATS tonight so we cannot add athletes into heats.

Second, PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR LISTED TIME IS YOUR START TIME! If you are in the 5pm heat, arrive with enough time to warm-up prior to the workout. We have a specific warm-up listed below and have indicated what you will do for warm-up once in the room for your heat.

1. It is long and the rep scheme is short. The biggest battle we’ve seen so far in coaching this workout is in keeping yourself moving. Because the reps of each movement are lower, there are A LOT of transitions that happen in this workout. We recommend focusing on completing rounds and not looking at the clock until you’re five (or so) rounds deep. The transitions are a great time to shake your arms out and catch your breath but it’s also easy to lose unnecessary time. Try to keep yourself moving from movement to movement and stay focused. It’s a grind, people.

2. Grippers. This is more or less all pulling - TTB, DB clean, row. Yes, biceps will fatigue and you’ll get a pretty decent pump but the big sticking point that we have seen is grip fatigue. If you need to rest your grip, do it during TTB. Even though that set is small, that is the only movement that doesn’t require you to do extra work if you break it up. Think about breaking it up earlier than you think you should so you can save your grip for the cleans (next bulllet) and keep yourself moving on the rower. Speaking of the rower, try to really focus on your legs during the row so your arms can relax as much as possible.

3. DB Hang Clean & Jerk. Athletes must complete 5 reps on one side, then 5 reps on the other side. You may not alternate arms or split up sets. There are three aspects to the movement standard: a) you must stand to full extension with the DB before performing your first rep; b) the DB must pause (touch) the shoulder before going overhead; c) you must redip when pushing the DB overhead and then come to a full standing position before bringing the DB back down. We will review all of these standards before each heat but keep this in mind as you’re warming up.

4. Warming up. We have a specific warm-up listed below. If you are in Heat 1, you will be allowed to warm-up in the main CF room. If you are in Heats 2, 3 and 4, you will warm-up in the Back Room. There will be equipment required for the warm-up in that room already. The Turf Room is NOT AVAILABLE until after 6:30pm - we ask that you not enter that room to avoid disrupting classes.

We believe this warm-up will take about 10-12 minutes to complete. If you need more time to mobilize, etc. budget accordingly. Once your heat is called, you will perform the following after being briefed and assigned a judge:

2 Rounds for quality

4 TTB2/arm DB hang clean + jerk6 calories on the rower

5. Do I do RX'd or scaled? Remember when you come in tonight, you will have to choose RX’d or scaled. The first thing to ask yourself is Can you do TTB? If the answer is no, then you should do scaled. If the answer is yes, the next question is Can you manage the weight relatively easily? This should NOT be a heavy weight for this rep scheme or movement. If the Rx’d weight feels too challenging, then you should also do scaled. If you are unsure, find a coach or ask your judge. You can also decide once we review the movement standards.

6. You will reach a point where you feel like you’ll never finish. Such is the nature of the 20 minute AMRAP. Again, we recommend focusing on the task rather than the time. Focus on the quality of your movement and making deliberate transitions. When you look at the clock (inevitably it’ll happen), try to use the time remaining to make a game plan. Focus on working through a minute at a time and setting a goal for each minute. Your judge will encourage you through and help to keep you moving - tell them what you want, how much counting, encouragement and coaching.

By now a lot of you are signed up to participate in the 2018 CrossFit Open at Kingfield. As coaches, we’ve been preparing you, by retesting Open workouts in classes and providing you with information on what movements, weights and time domains you can expect. We’ve discussed strategy and intensity in class, as well as addressed skills like handstand push-ups, toes-to-bar, muscle ups and barbell cycling. We do this to ensure that a great experience is had by all! From a training standpoint, you’re ready but have you considered how you fuel your training?

Today, I am going to share with you another piece of the puzzle: nutrition for performance. If this isn’t already something that you’re considering on a daily basis, I’m putting it on your radar now. Proper fueling around exercise is one of the biggest keys to adaptation and growth. The reason why I feel this is especially important at this time of year is that with the impending Friday Night Lights event, many of you will be working out at a time that you do not normally train. The intensity is high, the energy is electric and if you’re not careful, you could end up with a less than ideal performance in the workout. Not to mention, your recovery will take a hit. So, today, we discuss briefly how you should fuel around workouts and how to adjust if you’re; a morning, or midday regular outside of the Open.

Before we start, know this: when it comes to nutrition (on any level, for any person) everyone’s a little bit different. What works for you may not work for the person next to you. What I recommend here will require some personal experimentation on your part to dial in what works best for you. That being said, there are some steadfast guidelines that we can follow based on the general physiology of most people. We are going to break this up into pre- and post-workout bullet points, giving you a few things you can focus on both before and after you train.

Pre-workout

Eat anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours prior to training. You need to know your body and your schedule. The further away from your workout meal is, the bigger it should be (relatively speaking). If you prefer to workout on an empty stomach, then eating a full meal balanced with protein, carbs and fat about 1.5-2 hours before working out might be best for you. If you can handle eating closer to your workout, eating a smaller meal primarily consisting of protein and carbs (and low in fat) is going to be best.*

*Let’s say your plan for the day went south and your timing and scheduling is all off. Not to fear, try to get some rapidly digesting carbs and a bit of protein in right before you workout.

Stick to lean protein sources and carbs primarily before training. Around exercise, as we’ll also discuss in the post-workout section, fat is not ideal as it is slower digesting and actually impedes the absorption of other macronutrients.

Protein ingestion prior to exercise keeps us primed for anabolic and repair processes once we’re done working out - it doesn’t really contribute to energy that can be used by our cells during exercise. Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel, making it readily available for the working muscles to use.

The type and “quality” of the carbs you ingest prior to training will depend on the time you are eating. Further away (1-2 hours), you’ll want slower digesting (lower GI) carbohydrates. Think dense starches like sweet potato, carrots, berries, oranges, apples, steel cut oats, or whole grain bread or pastas. Be careful with highly glutinous foods here as if you don’t consume them regularly, they will make you feel sluggish and foggy. If you’re eating closer to your workout, you can start to lean towards faster absorbing and digesting carbs (high GI). Think bananas, pineapple, fruit snacks, cereal, granola bars or white rice.

This is by no means set in stone - it’s a starting point. Recall that food is highly individual. If you function really well off of a full bowl of rigatoni pasta thirty minutes before you work out, go for it (although I’d encourage you to try something else and see if you perform better…).

Digestion isn’t really happening once you start working out. When adrenaline is high, our bodies don’t really have the ability to prioritize processes like digestion. So if you’re still feeling a little shaky or hungry, you have two choices.

First, you can roll with it. See what happens when you workout hungry. Some people actually prefer working out on an empty stomach! Not you? The second choice is to drink some carbs. Try to keep them pretty pure - just added sugar, electrolytes and maybe a little caffeine - and dilute them down to have them last longer. Gatorade or some of the sports drinks we provide at the gym are useful (KillCliff or Formula O2).

A quick note on pre-workout as a supplement. I do not recommend the use of pre-workout supplements. The negatives outweigh the positives in most cases. Dosing appropriately is usually a problem - too much and your heart will want to beat out of your chest; too little and nothing happens. If you’re not used to it, you will likely perform worse by taking it before a workout. In my opinion, your money and your taste buds are better spent elsewhere.

Post-workout

Eat within 30 minutes to an hour after finishing. Individuals will vary here but to the very best of your ability, you should be getting calories in within this timeframe. When we perform certain types of exercises, primarily resistance/strength training, for a significant length of time, our bodies start to release a slew of hormones, one of which is human growth hormone (HGH). It is one of the only times it is naturally present in the bloodstream (the other is after quality sleep!) and therefore we can take advantage of its benefits. However, if we don’t provide the materials necessary to do the work HGH is capable of, we can miss out. It doesn’t linger long so make sure you’re ready to take advantage.

Consume 20-40g of protein, depending on your size, after a workout. Protein, specifically amino acids, are the building blocks of muscle tissue. During your exercise, specifically resistance training, you have broken down parts of your existing muscle tissue. Don’t worry! This is a good thing - as long as you ingest quality protein post-workout. That ingested protein can then be transported to these degraded areas and be used to rebuild and therefore assist in adaptation.

Consistent protein consumption throughout the day is critical to supporting existing muscle mass and high activity levels. It also tends to be more satiating than carbs, despite having the same calorie to gram ratio (4 cals/g).

Consume 2-4g of carbs per gram of protein alongside your protein post-workout. Now, I am all for quality, whole, real foods making up the majority of your diet. But if there was ever a time to sneak in a treat or perhaps your favorite more-processed-than-not food, immediately after a workout, especially one where the weight is heavy or the intensity is high (or both). This serves three major purposes:

1. Replenishment of glycogen stores - we’ve depleted our blood glucose and often times some of our glycogen, stored in our muscles (we store glycogen in the liver as well but it’s highly unlikely that CrossFit workouts unless it’s “Murph”-esque, will tap into this). You know that shaky feeling you can get post-workout, where it feels like your whole body is thrumming? Get some sugar in you! Your blood sugar is low and if left alone, you’ll feel dizzy, mentally foggy and weak.

2. The processed options tend to be more calorically dense - this one of the scenarios where we want caloric density. If you were to try to eat enough broccoli to meet your carbohydrate needs after a workout, you would quickly try to find something else.

For a quick comparison, eating one package of pop tarts is ~75g of carbs. That’s an appropriate amount for a ~135-175 pound athlete.* So two pop tarts or 18 cups of broccoli? Your choice.

Now to be clear, my point here is not to deter you from eating quality carbs post workout. Two cups of roasted sweet potato would work too. Or a few cups of your favorite cereal fits the bill too. The point is time and effectiveness. If you eat the broccoli, you’re probably going to go slow or even stop eating it. If you eat the pop tarts, you’ll get them down quick, better aiding the recovery process.

*Determining this depends on a lot of other factors and is a topic for another time.

3. Psychology matters. If knowing that you get to eat those pop tarts after you train keeps you on track nutritionally the rest of the day/week/month/year, hell yeah. Here you are stymying the sugar monsters and using those sugars as effectively as they can possibly be used.

That being said, exercise is not and should never be the REASON you eat pop tarts (or enter treat of choice here:_____________). That is a poor association to make. If you are telling yourself you are working out so you CAN eat the pop tart, stop that now. You have every chance to eat the pop tart, regardless of exercise. Instead, you are working out so you feel good, get stronger or improve your health. You eat the pop tart because you know that it works well as a post-workout food. You could eat it at other times but instead, you’ve CHOSEN to take advantage of an optimal time. Physiologically, we are primed to use that pop tart for good things. We are fueling our body appropriately to recover well and adapt to our training so we can continue to improve.

Eating after a workout sounds awful - I’m not hungry. This is something I hear a lot. I get it. But I’m not onboard. Find a way. If you need to liquify your post-workout shake - think to prepare protein powder, banana, chocolate milk and ice blended up and ready to go - or eat pureed baby food packets to get those critical calories in. Figure out what works for you!

Solid food is going to lend itself to feeling fuller longer, liquid calories are going to digested and absorbed faster. Your choice depends on your preference and what your responsibilities are after you’re done training. For me as a CrossFit coach, sometimes I have to jump right into a training session or class after working out. It’s these times where a shake with all my protein and carbs is ideal. But if I have time after training, I’ll house a bowl of cereal no problem. Another scenario is I have a break, say an hour after training, but it’s before I have to coach for three straight hours. This is when I might try to have a meal post-workout instead of a shake or cereal. I have enough time to come down from my workout and I’m consuming something that will stick with me through those three hours.

To employ these strategies takes planning. You’ll find that’s a prevalent theme when it comes to eating in a way that supports health, performance, and fitness. This could be a great starting point to practice planning in advance, especially if working out at night isn’t the norm for you. There are many variables that come into play here so patience and willingness to adjust are key as you dial in timing, type and amount of food. Also, training in the morning, immediately upon waking, is a slightly different story for a different post (although you can certainly apply some of these strategies, especially post-workout if you are an early gym bird). My hope is that you can use this information, apply it as it works best for you and reap some benefits.

-Coach Caitlin

P.S. If you want more nutrition information or are curious about individualized nutrition coaching, I am proud to announce that we are officially launching Kingfield Nutrition at the beginning of March. To mark the occasion, I will be giving a free 75-90 minute seminar on Sunday, March 4th, covering some basic nutrition topics and fielding any questions you may have. You don’t have to sign up, just show up! We will post an official time soon, but we’re shooting for just before the morning classes (8:30 am or so). Hope to see you there!

We are two weeks away from the 2018 CrossFit Open! We wanted all of you, regardless of your plans to participate, to be aware of what the Kingfield Schedule will look like over the next five weeks. Perhaps it will inspire you to stop by one Friday night to cheer on your fellow athletes and, hell, maybe even join in by the end!

Here's what you can expect over the next five weeks:

1) COMMUNICATION: A lot of emails from me. We are going to do our best to communicate to you as much information as we have so that things run smoothly. We will also be posting a lot to our social media so go like our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram (@crossfitkingfield).

If you are not currently registered for the Open with us and would like to participate, please find the sign up sheet in the gym! It will stay up until Saturday, February 17th.

If you are not currently registered for the Open and you show up on Friday night for class, we will do what we can to work you into a heat during that hour. But PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be aware that regularly scheduled classes (6 & 7pm) WILL NOT be run for those five weeks (from 2/23 - 3/23).

If you are unsure whether or not you want to participate, we encourage you come check it out. Watch and see how it goes down. Then you can decide if it's something you want to be a part of the following week!

2) MONDAY EMAILS - HEAT SIGN UP: Each week, starting Monday, 2/19, registered participants will receive a prompt to fill out their preferred heat time slot for the week. We will send this out on Monday. We need responses NO LATER THAN Wednesday night for the week.

Athletes will specify their 1st and 2nd choice (or "flexible") for the block in which they wish to have the workout completed in if they're participating on Friday. This year, we are going to offer options in 45 minute blocks (5-5:45, 5:45-6:30, 6:30-7:15, 7:15-8pm).

We DO NOT know the duration of the workouts. Some will be short, some will be longer. For that reason, we are doing this in 45 minute blocks. Heat times may fall the the beginning, middle or end of that block but our goal will be to have your workout wrapped up within that block.

Please understand that with longer workouts, timelines may get pushed back a bit but we will do our very best to get you in and done at the time you have requested.

3) FRIDAY EMAILS - HEAT ASSIGNMENT & WORKOUT BRIEFING: Every Thursday night we will broadcast the announcement live at the gym. We do ask that you be respectful of the 7pm class that will be going on at the time. After the announcement, we will be figuring out the logistics of that week's workout and by Friday morning we will send all registered athletes an email with the finalized heat times AND any pertinent information regarding the workout (tips and strategy, transitions, judging, etc.).

If athletes wish to change their heat time once the schedule has been released, please contact me ASAP. We will do our best to accommodate last minute changes but know that depending on the workout that can be difficult. We ask that everyone do their best to lock up schedules when you submit your choices earlier in the week.

4) SCHEDULE - MACRO & MICRO: First, we will offer alternative times to complete the workout during open gym over the weekend.

On Saturdays, open gym hours will be our regular 10am - 2pm. On Sundays, you MUST arrange with a coach a time to come in and we cannot allow for your workout to interfere with class. Please remember that Sunday classes will still be held at 10am, 11am and noon in the main space. If the Open workout requires equipment in that room, make arrangements to either do the workout on a different day OR come in before or after the scheduled classes. The turf room is always available for use. You may also complete the Open workout in Open gym on Monday as well.

On Fridays, your scheduled heat time is your start time! Please come in to give yourself plenty of time to warm-up. You will be responsible for performing your general warm-up prior to starting. We will include our recommended warm-up in the Friday morning briefing email but you can do what you know works best for you. We will be sure to build in the transition time to allow you to do a few practice reps of your movements before each heat.

5) DIVISION DECISIONS - RX'd v. SCALED: The CrossFit Open provides both Rx'd and scaled versions of each open workout. We encourage you to pick the option that best suits your goals and ability levels. You must choose one or the other - there will be no mixing and matching for logistical purposes. We will break down each week the thought process that can help guide your decision making in our Friday emails. Please don't hesitate to talk to a coach if you're still unsure.

At the end of the day, our goal is to keep you safe, healthy and improve your fitness. Staring a a heavy barbell or gymnastics rings or attempting a lift or gymnastics movement far outside your comfort zone does not meet these criteria. As coaches, we reserve the right to point you in the right direction for your safety.

6) TRAINING THROUGH THE OPEN: We cannot stress enough that you do not need to do the Open workout twice in one day. You MAY NOT come to class in the morning and then come back in for Friday Night Lights. We will send you home. It is for your own safety.

As for training around the Open workout, it depends on your goals. If you are participating for fun, only plan on doing the workouts once and are coming on Friday or Saturday to do them, we encourage you to stick to your normal training schedule. If you usually workout on Thursday and Friday, then stick to that (our Thursday workouts will be programmed with this in mind and coaches will be aware of who's participating and can help with scaling as needed). If you like to have a rest day on Thursdays and train Fridays, then stick to that.

If you are doing this to post your very best score, you may want to retest the workout.

Experience is a great teacher and many people find they perform better in a workout after they've done it before. If you are choosing this route, we recommend you complete the workout on Friday night, either rest or do some light movement on Saturday, and retest either Sunday or Monday during Open Gym. DO NOT do the workout on Friday and come back in on Saturdays to retest the workout.

We do feel we've given you decent exposure to the Open workouts throughout our Open Prep Cycle. Use this (how you felt, how you recovered, etc.) to gauge what your body can handle.

Remember that rest is the often undervalued tool when it comes to fitness. Just because it's the Open doesn't mean we need to do more to get fitter (i.e. the Open workout should NOT be an addition to your regular training schedule).

If you have more questions about this, don't hesitate to ask a coach!

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I believe that is all we have for right now. If you have any questions, please email me at caitlin@crossfitkingfield.com. We will continue to work out any kinks as we go! We thank you in advance for you participation in this year's Open with us and for your patience and understanding as we navigate together the challenges set for us this year!

This year during the Open, many of you will complete workouts with a "judge." Now, at Kingfield, our judges are really acting more as rep counters and cheerleaders. In some cases, they are also coaches. If you are fortunate enough to have one of the Kingfield coaches as your judge, you will get a little taste of what it's like to be coached through the entirety of a workout. They may help pace you, monitor your rest/work, and keep you moving (even when you don't really want to move). Today, I'm going to briefly discuss how this can be beneficial, as long as you, the athlete, keep an open mind and allow yourself to be coached.

In my opinion, I find that even having my reps counted helps me through a workout. If you've ever had someone do that for you, you likely experienced a bit of an advantage. It mentally allows you to focus on breaking down the work you have remaining or to just keep moving as opposed to counting. How many times have you lost track of reps in a workout and then end up doing extras because you don't want to cheat yourself? I know it's happened to me and I know what a relief it is to not have to think about counting.

Secondly, your judge can also break down sets for you. For example, we may focus on breaking things up into chunks of 5-10 reps. Mentally, this is more manageable than 40-50 reps. Four to five sets of 10 reps sounds a hell of a lot more doable than "You have 47 reps to go! Great work!" Also, when you're chunking work into sets, you will have rest time. I use this term loosely, because in the middle of a workout, "rest time" amounts merely to a couple big deep breaths without completing any required work. It's still going to burn when you get back to the movement but you likely bought yourself a little more oomph on your next set. The amount of rest depends largely on the athlete and can change as the workout goes on. A pretty standard rule of thumb to start out with is to rest about equal to what you work. As you get more tired, you'll find that this ratio will change but the closer you can keep it to 1:1 (or lower) the better when it comes to breaking up sets (It is a totally different animal when transitioning from one movement to another).

Third (I alluded a bit to this above) it's good to have a plan but sometimes our plans break down. How do you adjust? Do you get upset with yourself that you're not moving at the speed you wanted? What do you focus on? As a coach, I tend to work my athletes into smaller sets with slightly shorter rest. Just like counting to ten is easier than counting to forty, counting to five is easier than counting to ten. Sometimes, though, "strategy" has to be thrown out the window. Your only goal now becomes keep moving, and that is OKAY.

Here's my challenge to you: this week, before one of your workouts, sit back and think about it. You'll have strengths and weaknesses within the workout (albeit sometimes disproportionately one way or the other). Decide what you think is manageable. Then talk to a coach, present your thoughts and ask for their input. They have plenty of experience both coaching and doing and have coached you enough to know the best approach for you. Finally, during the Open, talk to your judge. While you're warming up, tell your judge what you want and what your goals are for the workout. Do you prefer they just count? Do you want them to manage rest/work for you? Do you want them to help you out or just cheer you through? If they're not an experienced coach, tell them beforehand what signs you give that you're getting fatigued (aside from the obvious ones) and need to change course. This communication can make the workout that much more doable for you. And then, trust them. Trust that they are doing their best to keep you pointed towards your goals. If you do, all you will have to do is move. Don't think, just move.

And sometimes, that's the best approach we can have. If you haven't yet, the sign up sheet for the Open is up in the gym. We're looking forward to it!

Last year, we ask your coaches and fellow members about their past Open experiences. If you're still on the fence, you don't have to take our word for it. Find out their motivation behind their participation and what they'd say to you if you ask them whether or not you should participate this year!

Why do you participate in the Open?

It's a really fun community event, and a great way to test your progress. You know there will be a repeat workout, who knows maybe 7 minutes of burpees ;)

It's a really fun community event, and a great way to test your progress. You know there will be a repeat workout, who knows maybe 7 minutes of burpees ;)

If you're unsure, Coach Amanda says:

"DO IT! The Open is a blast. We have a great time Friday nights, you can take it seriously or just have fun with it. Also, the workouts are scaleable, everyone can participate. And if you're not sure, come anyways to watch and cheer...you might change your mind by the end!"

Why do you participate in the Open?

I originally participated in the Open because I wanted to test myself and I also like competition. Now, I participate because I enjoy working out and being around everyone else who wants to do it. It's like playing backyard football. Just a bunch of people doing what they love with who they want to, and then possibly whoop some ass.

(CAITLIN: You don't have to put that last part in. Haha).

If you're unsure, Coach Chris says:

"If you are wondering if you want to compete in the Open or not, you should! It's all for fun, and if you want you can take it serious too. You have nothing to lose and you will have fun, either doing the workout yourself, watching others suffer, or just hanging out. It's all fun! So if you're not doing anything on those Friday nights, come join us!"

Why do you participate in the Open?

I have two reasons. First, I use it personally as a marker of my progress...Some days, you'll look back at what you thought was impossible and you'll be doing it and that's pretty awesome. Second, the community! People show up for this stuff and I love it. I've seen so many of our athletes push to places they haven't been and try things they've never done...It's incredible the promotion of growth that the Open inspires.

If you're unsure, Coach Caitlin says:

"Do it. Competing isn't all about being the best. It's not about puffing up your chest and strutting around the gym displaying your six-pack abs and your "Fran" time for all to see. It's about setting mini goals as you face a test and doing your damnedest to achieve those - go unbroken on thrusters? Do it. Hold a steady pace on the rower? Do it. Consistently hit sets of 5 on toes-to-bar? Do it. It's about pushing past the limits we set for ourselves. Never tried a muscle up? Give it a go. And maybe you get one! And that's pretty cool. And maybe you don't but darn it you tried it! And that's pretty cool, too. What makes all of these challenges easier are the people who surround you. So pluck up that courage we pride ourselves on over here and come out for the Open this year! I hope to see you there!"

Why do you participate in the Open?

I participate in the Open because I love to be a part of the community. It is always fun seeing how you measure up against your friends and how you have improved over the years. Each year I think it is important to participate no matter how prepared you might think you are. Yes, the workouts hurt. But I do believe that you learn a lot about yourself and the people that support you during those five weeks.

If you're unsure, Coach Danny says:

"[You] should absolutely compete. At Kingfield, we only want to stress participation. It truly is about the experience of working out together, not the leaderboard. Life has its time and place for competition, and there will be plenty of that during the Open. However, it is more about the community than anything else and the Open is a great example of that year in and year out."

Why do you participate in the Open?

...I am not (officially) signed up for the Open. I am still doing the workouts, but my interests have slightly changed over the last year and Crossfit has taken a back seat. I love being a part of the 'Friday Night Lights' that the thought of not participating...never crossed my mind. Kingfield's community is unlike any others and being a part of it, during the Open, is extremely inspiring.

If you're unsure, Maddie says:

"Do it. You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain. You're gaining confidence in your abilities, knowledge in the sport and you are doing it with not only people at Kingfield, but around the world. Thats pretty cool :)

Why do you participate in the Open?

Two fold answer. I'm quite competitive, specifically against myself (and often others). What better measuring stick to test your fitness out then the Open?? I LOVE...watching and cheering on my fellow friends. Watching how everyone reacts in stressful athletic situations and too often overcome their own fears to achieve a score they never thought was possible is what the Open and our community is all about.

If you're unsure, Jesse says:

"The CrossFit Kingfield community is amazing, specifically the coaches. They have gotten us through movements that were foreign when we started and workouts we never thought we could complete. Why not take one more leap? Let them and your peers guide you through five weeks of one workout each week. Granted it's intense, but it can be scaled for any skill level and you will have an unbelievable amount of support from the Kingfield community while you're doing the workout. The atmosphere is indescribable, which is why you should fill this out next year and tell someone who has never done the open before why they should compete! It's an absolute adrenaline rush and you won't be in this alone. Enjoy the process and have fun. Everyone around you has your back and you'll be quite surprised how not intimidating the workout is when you have so many others supporting you. Just do it!"

Why are you participating in the Open?

There are 100 reasons but my top three are: 1. I want my daughter to see that this is what we do and we can do hard things. 2. I find the Open quite intimidating and doing things that scare me give me a huge rush. 3. I think about the tough workouts I have done when I race… it makes the racing easier so like “You can do this, you have done 100 wall-balls before, you got this” or “At least this isn’t double unders”...

If you're unsure, Meg says:

"Join me! I promise to cheer for you uncomfortably loud… in a very high voice. That which does not kill us makes us way harder to kill :)

Why do you participate in the Open?

I do the Open for the same reasons I do CrossFit...Doing things that are scary or hard are part of what CrossFit is about, because if we’re honest with one another, no one LIKES doing thrusters, or wall balls, but yet we show up and do them (even though they can be scary and ARE hard)...The Open gives me a chance to face the scary things with a team of people cheering me on! There’s a unique bonding or special connection created when you go through difficult...things other people, and who doesn’t want to walk out of a scary situation victorious with all of their friends beside them.

If you're unsure, Mary says:

"Absolutely! You should compete in the Open! It’s a fantastic experience whether you’re watching or participating...The hardest thing about the Open is just showing up :) So make it your goal to just get into the room and you’ll be supported the rest of the way! You won’t regret it!"

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